We came across one of the most memorable Celtic stories involving a player and a supporter online a good few years ago. Apologies as the source has been lost in the mists of internet time but this is how we remember the story going .

We came across one of the most memorable Celtic stories involving a player and a supporter online a good few years ago. Apologies as the source has been lost in the mists of internet time but this is how we remember the story going . . .

One of the older members of the bus had a problem with a stutter which wasn’t all that noticeable unless he was getting excited or wound up and then it became very obvious. This fan used to always maintain that when Harry Hood scored a hat-trick against Rangers in the 1973 League Cup semi-final at Hampden – the last Celtic player to score a hat-trick before the Ibrox club were liquidated – he did so with three headers. The more others on the bus would disagree with this old fella, the more worked up he would get and he would start stuttering and swearing all over the shop. It was a source of much merriment to everyone else.

In one of the many Edinburgh buses that transported Celtic fans from the capital home and away in the 80s and 90s, there was one regular argument that broke out surrounding a famous hat-trick by the 1970s star striker Harry Hood.

One day the bus, who normally stopped on their way to home games in Lanarkshire for some refreshments, went to Angels Hotel in Uddingston, long owned by none other than Mr Harry Hood. This was the old fella’s chance to set the record straight and put down the detractors who for years had been claiming his memory was faulty. As luck would have it, Harry himself was behind the bar that day. The exchange went something like this:

Up went the old fella, a wee bit anxious about meeting one of his heroes: “Harry, do you remember that hat-trick you scored against R-R-Rangers at Hampden all those years ago?”

Harry responded: “Of course I do pal, what a night that was.”

The old fella again: “Well you’ll remember Harry, each of the goals that night you got with your head, didn’t ye?”

Harry again responded: “No, it was two shots and a header that I got.”

The old boy leaned over the bar, up to Harry Hood’s face and said: “You’re a f-f-f-f-f-fucking liar!”

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The day after the semi-final the Daily Recorddeclared him to be Harry Hoodini and the accompanying match report (and photos) confirmed that Harry’s recollection of two shots and a header was bang on:

arry Hood was a popular striker among the Celtic support in the 1970s and they adapted a famous George Harrison song in his honour: